By Richard Pagliaro | Wednesday, October 12, 2016
Viktor Troicki beat Rafael Nadal for the first time in six meetings, 6-3, 7-6 (3), to advance to the Shanghai Rolex Masters round of 16.
Photo credit: Shanghai Rolex Masters
A pulsating 38 shot rally turned up the tiebreak tension when Viktor Troicki lacerated a two-handed backhand down the line that left a lunging Rafael Nadal without an answer.
The fourth-seeded Spaniard kept scrapping, but a fearless Troicki delivered the knock-out blow.
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Riding an imposing serve and impeccable ground game, Troicki toppled Nadal, 6-3, 7-6 (3), to reach the Shanghai Rolex Masters round of 16.
It was Troicki's first win over Nadal in six career meetings.
The 31st-ranked Serbian will face 15th-seeded Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut for a place in the last eight. Bautista Agut swept American qualifier Taylor Fritz, 6-4, 6-4.
The 14-time Grand Slam champion dropped to 39-14 on the season with eight of his 14 losses coming against players ranked outside of the Top 20.
Adhering to a shrewd game plan, Troicki frequently drilled his flat serve out wide to the Nadal forehand on the ad side then stepped in to take the first strike.
Troicki, who won 28 of 30 points played on his first serve in his first-round win over qualifier Lukas Rosol on Monday, served with authority today.
The 30-year-old Troicki delivered 11 aces, won 32 of 35 first-serve points and did not face a break point in the 94-minute victory. Troicki double Nadal's winner output (31 to 15) and won 10 of 12 trips to net.
In the seventh game, Troicki imposed his game cracking shots into the corners to finally draw a stretched error from a lunging Nadal for deuce. Rifling a forehand pass down the line, Troicki earned break point. Pounding another forehand into the Spaniard's forehand corner, Troicki broke for 4-3.
Troicki thumped an ace to back up the break for 5-3.
The 6'4" Serbian handled Nadal's high-bounding topspin, particularly on his two-handed backhand, effectively in the opening set. Troicki crunched a clean two-handed backhand return then outdueled Nadal in a lengthy exchange drawing an errant forehand for set point.
Stepping inside the baseline, a red-hot Troicki ripped a forehand winner down the line breaking for the second time in a row to snatch the first set in 36 minutes. Troicki won all 10 of his first-serve points in the first set.
Rousing the crowd with an ace to seal an emphatic hold, Nadal tried to press Troicki's serve. The lanky Serbian slid into a backhand pass that skimmed the top of the tape to hold for 3-2. By then, Troicki had won 19 of 20 points played on his first serve.
Scattering an inside-out forehand wide of the sideline, Nadal fell into a 0-30 hole in the eighth game. He responded with a slick forehand half volley winner. Slashing a forehand pass crosscourt, Nadal worked through a tricky deuce game drawing level at 4-all.
Nadal went down fighting.
Starting down match point in the 10th game, Nadal made a remarkable forehand dig off a drive on the baseline. Troicki lined up a mid-court forehand but netted the shot as Nadal escaped eventually holding for 5-all.
Six years ago, Nadal saved two match points subduing Troicki, 7-6 (4), 4-6, 7-6 (7) to reach the Tokyo final. If that near miss crossed Troicki's mind today he didn't show it at the finish line.
In the tie break, the former world No. 1 blinked. Nadal netted a forehand sitter donating the mini-break as Troicki ran off four straight points for 4-1.
An electric 38-shot rally saw Troicki drill his two-hander down the line extending the lead to 5-2. Victimizing Nadal with the wide serve and smash brought the Serbian to match point.
Troicki finished in style slashing a two-handed return winner crosscourt for his first win over Nadal.
It was a day of upsets.
World No. 43 Marcel Granollers hit 10 aces upsetting seventh-seeded Tomas Berdych, 7-6 (4), 7-6 (1). Granollers, who beat Berdych for the first time in five meetings, will play 110th-ranked Mischa Zverev for a quarterfinal spot.
The German qualifier broke serve five times stunning sluggish Tokyo champion Nick Kyrgios, 6-3, 6-1, in 48 minutes.
Attacking net consistently, 131st-ranked Canadian qualifier Vasek Pospisil toppled Beijing finalist Grigor Dimitrov, 7-5, 7-6 (2), to earn a round of 16 date with world No. 1 Novak Djokovic.
No. 5-seeded Milos Raonic slammed 14 aces and won 30 of 34 first-serve points routing Paolo Lorenzi, 6-2, 6-4 in 64 minutes. Raonic will play Jack Sock for a place in the last eight.
Sock slapped 15 aces outdueling Feliciano Lopez, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4. The sixth-ranked Raonic has won eight of nine meetings with Sock, including straight-sets wins at Wimbledon and Miami this season.
US Open champion Stan Wawrinka dismissed qualifier Kyle Edmund, 6-3, 6-4, in 61 minutes. The third-seeded Swiss will face Frenchman Gilles Simon for a quarterfinal spot.
Eleventh-seeded David Goffin defeated Benoit Paire for the first time in three meetings, 6-1, 7-6 (0). Goffin will play for his first win over Gael Monfils next.